HONOLULU — Two sacred Torah scrolls have been stolen from a Jewish synagogue in Honolulu.
The Sanctuary at Chabad of Hawaii said the scrolls were stolen either Saturday or Sunday. The synagogue is offering $5,000 for the safe return of the scrolls, which are handwritten copies of the Torah, the holiest book in the Jewish religion.
The scrolls weigh about 40 pounds and are valued at $50,000 each.
Rabbi Itchel Krasnjansky says a synagogue cannot have a service without a Torah.
One of the Torahs survived the Holocaust and the other was purchased in memory of a boy who died in the community.
The synagogue and Jewish educational center said police have been contacted. They’re concerned the items will be smuggled off island for sale on the black market.